The Truth about Gluten – and the Barrier Plan

It is so long since I have blogged that I have almost forgotten what the blog looks like… All down to the ‘clear up’ after the very successful FreeFrom Food Awards party and presentation on the 17th (see here for the winners and here for Alex’s usual witty report on the party). As anyone who has run functions will know, the ‘tidy up’ process after a ‘do’ always ends up by taking far longer than the organisation that preceded it….

Anyhow, I thought that while I was getting my head back into blogging mode, I would direct all readers with an interest in gluten sensitivity to Micki Rose’s new and revamped sites. As  many of you will be aware, Micki has been working on the theory that it is not just the traditional ‘coeliac’ grains (wheat, barley and rye) which cause problems for those with gluten sensitivity (and for those coeliacs who do not really get better on the traditional ‘coeliac diet’) but all grains – and she does mean all grains.

Using her Truly Gluten Free site as both a research tool and to log her progress, she has been tracking down, in forensic detail, ‘truly’ gluten free foods, supplements and skincare products. Even more importantly she has been developing her theory that the real problem is not so much the gluten but a breakdown in the function of the many ‘barriers’ (gut, skin, blood-brain etc) which should be preventing proteins such as gluten and other potential allergens crossing into the bloodstream and triggering both allergic and autoimmune episodes.

She will, I hope, be precis-ing her theories for us for the FoodsMatter sites in the near future, but rather than waiting for that, why not go directly to her two sites where she explains her theories: the very interactive Truly Gluten Free blog site  where you can also read the experiences of those who have been testing out her protocols for her, and her new site, http://allergyandintolerance.com where she takes you, step by step, through the regime that she has developed.

As yet, I have not had a chance to do more than glance at the latter, but if I know Micki, it will be extremely well thought through, very thoroughly tested and totally user friendly. And, if the feed back from those who have tried the diet is any guide, life-changingly successful! Good reading…